Business Times Africa Magazine 2017 /vol 9/ No2 BT2Edition2017_web | Page 22

AFRICA
Powering Africa’s Transformation
Carlos Lopes, Aliko Dangote and Tony Elumelu
"Africa has a chance to bring hundreds of millions of people
without electricity into the modern economy; and we have an
opportunity to pioneer the next investment frontier. "
A
frica has a bright future ahead
of it. Productivity and growth
will improve as African econ-
omies continue to place more em-
phasis on services and manufactur-
ing, pursue commodity production,
and achieve quick gains in agriculture
and light industry.
But African countries’ success
presupposes that they generate and
manage energy sustainably to keep
up with increasing demand. In the
next 35 years, Africa’s population will
continue to rise, with a projected 800
million people across the continent
moving to cities. And Africans are al-
ready disproportionately exposed to
the adverse effects of climate change,
even though they are collectively re-
sponsible for less than 4% of global
greenhouse-gas emissions.
Urban areas will have to reduce
environmental stresses by promoting
low-carbon energy systems, electric
mass transportation, and energy-effi-
ciency initiatives, as well as the use of
cleaner cooking fuels. And rural areas
can create new opportunities that re-
duce the need for urban migration, by
expanding renewable energy systems
and energy access.
But even with these measures, pro-
viding enough energy for a modern,
inclusive economy will not be easy.
Africa already experiences frequent
power outages, even though more
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